Funeral services for Shirley Howard, 81, of Portales, were held at 1:30 PM, Fri., Jan. 18, 2019 in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Pastor Zach Cathey officiating. Burial followed in the Sunset Terrace Memorial Cemetery at Farwell, TX with Micah Howard, Jamie D. Cooper, Cody Varnell, Nick Fontenot, Ricky Bouldin, Garrett Goodson and Grady Goodson serving as pallbearers. All of her great-grandchildren will be honorary pallbearers.
Shirley Ann Howard was born Sept. 1, 1937 in Portales, to the home of Edna “Irene” (Gardner) and Lowell Elmo O’Hare, and died early Thurs. morning, Jan. 17, 2019 in Farwell, TX. Shirley was a 1955 graduate of Tatum High School. Following graduation, she came to Portales and attended Eastern New Mexico University. She met a fellow student, “Buttons” Howard, whom she later married on Aug. 31, 1956. The couple had four children before they later divorced. Shirley lived in Portales for 52 years before moving to Clovis in 2007. For many years she was an American National Life Insurance agent. She had been retired since the late 1990’s.
Ms Howard loved the Lord, and was an avid Bible student. She had read the Bible in its entirety more than seven times. Her reading was not limited to the Bible. She enjoyed reading a variety of materials as well. Shirley had been a member of Faith Triumphant Church in Portales for a number of years. Shirley was an outgoing lady who loved people, but she was particularly fond of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She is survived by two sons, Berwin and Bowie Howard both of Lubbock; two daughters and a son-in-law, Rebecca and Kie Watkins and Suzanne Cooper all of Lubbock; seven grandchildren, Micah (Kasandra) Howard, Tasha (Zach) Cathey, Amanda (J. W.) Breeden, Chelsea Howard, Morgan Howard, Jamie D. (Jennifer) Cooper and Ashley (Cody) Varnell; and 18 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her former husband and the father of her children, “Buttons” Howard of Lubbock, TX. She was preceded in death by her parents, and by a son-in-law, Jamie Cooper.
